CLAYTONIA
Newsletter of the Arkansas Native Plant Society
Vol. 28 No. 2
An Audience With The Queen
Fall/Winter 2008
By Theo Witsell
In this issue:
Craig “Coondog” Fraiser
and I recently spent two
long hot days in the
Springfield Plateau
section of the Ozarks
exploring sinkhole ponds
and two anonymous
spring-fed stream
gorges*. We had hoped
to find some new species
for Arkansas – Virginia
sneezeweed (Helenium
virginicum), forked aster
(Eurybia furcata) and tall
larkspur (Delphinium
exaltatum), but struck out Showy lady’s-slipper orchid (Cypripedium reginae).
Photo by John Pelton.
on all counts. But deep
down, unspoken even, we
were both secretly hoping to discover a new population of the showy lady’s-slipper
orchid (Cypripedium reginae), far and away the rarest and most seldom-seen lady’sslipper in Arkansas. It is so rare, and so spectacular, that it often goes by its other name:
The Queen.
Dr. Henry Robison Retires
Page 3
Creeping St. John’s Wort
Page 4
Spring Meeting Minutes
Page 6
Field Trip Reports
Page 7
Bellflower Seed Needed
Page 10
Fall Meeting Info
Page 11
Woody Plant CD-ROM Review
Page 13
Emerald Ash Borer
Almost to Arkansas
Page 15
Trips & Announcements
Page 16
Talking Plants
With a Four Year Old
Page 16
As we hiked up the rugged canyon of our first stream, we searched likely habitat for
forked aster (bases of bluffs and limestone ledges with an accumulation of rich, moist
soil), but to no avail. But the scenery was spectacular and the water was among the
cleanest and clearest I’ve ever seen in Arkansas. So clear, in fact, that the depth could
be deceiving, turning what looked like a knee-deep step into a cold, take-your-breathaway belly-deep plunge. Rare and uncommon plants abounded along the stream, with
cascades of running strawberry bush (Euonymus obovata) spilling from blufftops, and
sheer walls peppered with the grey-green foliage of the littleflower alumroot (Heuchera
parviflora var. puberula). The rock ledges along the stream banks were loaded with
plants that indicated the presence of groundwater seepage: golden ragwort (Packera
aurea), umbrella sedge (Fuirena simplex var. simplex), shining coneflower (Rudbeckia
fulgida), bishop’s cap (Mitella diphylla), grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia grandifolia),
and bristly-stalked sedge (Carex leptalea). In the woods along the stream we also
found “new” populations of several rare species including satin brome (Bromus
nottowayanus), blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), and butternut (Juglans
cinerea). Even the sand grape (Vitis rupestris), by far the rarest of our native grapes,
with its wide, folded leaves, was found growing in the gravel of the stream bed.
The rugged limestone gorges of the Springfield Plateau
provide habitat for many rare species. Photo by Craig Fraiser.
The hanging garden, high above the stream, keeping the
Queen safe from her enemies. Photo by Craig Fraiser.
Surveying the bluffs is best done from the stream channel, but
watch out for leeches, be sure to keep your pack out of the
water, and always take a waterproof bag for your camera and
phone! You’ll fall in eventually. Believe me, I speak from
experience. Photo by Craig Fraiser.
The Queen and her court. Photo by Craig Fraiser.
To get to our second stream, we descended over 300 feet down
into its gorge from an adjacent ridgetop (there are no roads that
cross this particular stream due to the rugged and inaccessible
terrain). When we reached the valley floor we arbitrarily
decided to go upstream. The water was cold and still running in
early August, indicating that springs supply a good portion of
the flow. After about a mile of slipping and sliding up the creek,
necks craned to survey the bluffs, I did a double-take. There, 16
feet up on a sheer limestone wall, was a small, lush “hanging
garden”, perhaps five feet wide and three or four feet front-toback, obviously kept moist by the gentle emergence of
groundwater. Against the wall of the bluff, at the back of this
secret garden, were ten of the largest lady’s-slipper orchids I’ve
ever seen! The biggest were perhaps three feet tall, with leaves
eight or ten inches in length. The specific epithet, reginae (the
Queen), is aptly given.
The streams we were traveling in were deeply incised, forming
dramatic “box canyons” with bluff walls and narrow
floodplains, making walking in the stream channel the most
convenient, and perhaps the safest, avenue for travel. Signs of
roaring spring floods (dead leaves crammed head high in the
branches of shrub thickets, occasional logjams against trees high
above the water, and high, steep-walled gravel bars up against
deep, scoured, bedrock-bottomed pools) spoke to the fact that
the streams, while they are lazy and docile in the summer, can
have an excitable mean streak during the wet season. All along,
as we waded in the cool water, we scanned the bluffs for the
telltale seepage indicators, which would tell us to be on the
lookout.
2
The unique and fragile microhabitat supporting this small
population was remarkable in itself, as was the assemblage of
associate species present – the Queen’s court. There were a few
small, arching shrubs of ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) and
the uncommon alternate-leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia).
And a number of seepage-loving herbaceous plants: spotted
cowbane (Oxypolis rigidior), grass-of-Parnassus, bristly-stalked
sedge, shining coneflower, bearded shorthusk grass
(Brachyelytrum erectum), and even eastern columbine
(Aquilegia canadensis). Everything must have been just
perfect… just the right amount of light, the required mycorrhizal
fungi to assist the orchids in obtaining nutrients, just the right
amount of water, and the inaccessible site itself… a fortified
castle to protect the Queen from her enemies, like hungry deer
and greedy poachers.
President Elect On the Move
To the Arkansas Native Plant Society members:
Over the summer I made the difficult decision to accept a
position in Missouri and, in July, resigned from Arkansas State
University and moved to central Missouri. My spouse had taken
a position with a research firm in Fulton, Missouri and I had the
opportunity to work on a research project in Jefferson City.
After too many years of interstate commuting, we decided this
was our chance to work and live at the same address (after last
year’s low point, which involved simultaneous ownership of 2
houses, and rental of 2 separate apartments, we were ready to
simplify our lifestyle ). Now we’re back to 1 house which is a
novel concept after 10 years.
The day, which was hot and humid with thunder clapping in the
distance, suddenly seemed brighter with our discovery and I felt
somewhat lighter as we slogged back down the creek and up the
steep slopes out of the gorge. We didn’t find what we had really
set out to find, but we got a number of nice surprises along the
way and got a rare audience with The Queen, something I think
we’ll both remember for a long, long time.
Even though I’m no longer employed in Arkansas, I am
continuing to work on research projects in Arkansas, and I’ll
always consider Arkansas as home. I look forward to serving
ANPS during the next year, and continuing to both work with,
and enjoy Arkansas plants. I hope to see all of you at the fall
meeting in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.
* The names of these streams are not disclosed here because of
the unfortunate and continued poaching of lady’s-slipper
orchids, especially the Queen slipper, from the wild by
collectors. Several historical populations in Arkansas are now
gone because all the plants were dug out. Carl Hunter once told
me that, at one time, he knew of five sites for the species in
Benton County, but that all of them had been lost to poachers.
Today no populations are known to survive in the northwestern
part of Arkansas, and only four are known in the entire state..
Staria Vanderpool, President Elect
Arkansas Native Plant Society
Dr. Henry “Rob” Robison Retires
After 37 Years at SAU
After 37 years as Professor of Biology at Southern Arkansas
University at Magnolia, Dr. Henry “Rob” Robison has retired
from teaching, at least in the formal setting. Dr. Robison is
well-known for his work on fishes and crayfishes of Arkansas,
but knows a thing or two about plants too… particularly rare and
endemic ones. He is co-author of two impressive books: Only
in Arkansas (a study of the animals and plants endemic to the
state) and Fishes of Arkansas (the definitive work on the
subject). He has also published a number of scientific papers,
mentored many students over the years, and been active in the
Arkansas Academy of Science.
Marbleseed (Onosmodium bejariense), an interesting species
in the borage family, occurs in scattered locations in Arkansas,
typically in dry, open habitat. There are three varieties known
from the state. Var. bejariense is known only from dry
blackland prairie and chalk outcrops in Little River and
Hempstead County; var. hispidissimum is concentrated in the
blackland prairies of southwestern Arkansas; and var.
subsetosum, while not uncommon in limestone and dolomite
glades in the Ozarks, is very rare in the Ouachitas, where it
occurs in shale barrens. Photo by Craig Fraiser. Garland
County.
We wish Rob the very best in his retirement and hope to see him
at more ANPS meetings and field trips. Blue skies, Rob. Blue
skies…
3
PLANT OF THE ISSUE: CREEPING ST. JOHN’S WORT
Specimen of H. adpressum collected in the Grand Prairie by F.
Leroy Harvey in July 1884 and housed at the U of A
Herbarium in Fayetteville.
Creeping St. John’s wort (Hypericum adpressum). Globally
rare and in Arkansas! Channel scar depression ponds along
Alum Fork, Saline County. 2006. Photo by John Pelton.
was sitting by his microscope in the herbarium at the U of A,
painstakingly checking the identity of all the St. John’s wort
specimens for the upcoming Atlas of the Flora of Arkansas. He
came across a specimen labeled as Hypericum sphaerocarpum
(round-fruited St. John’s wort) that had been collected in July of
1884 by F. Leroy Harvey, then botanist at the U of A. The
location on this specimen label read simply “Grand Prairie. E.
Ark.”. But something about the plant didn’t look right for H.
sphaerocarpum. Besides, this was noticeably out-of-range for
this species in Arkansas – the kind of long-distance outlier that
warrants a second look at the specimen.
Back in June, Brent Baker, research botanist at the U of A
Herbarium at Fayetteville (UARK), was out looking for rare
plants at the Railroad Prairie Natural Area in Prairie County
when he came upon something he didn’t expect to find. To his
amazement, there before him in a ditch along the abandoned
railroad bed of the Rock Island Railroad, in an area of low,
unplowed tallgrass prairie, was a small colony of one of the
rarest plants in Arkansas—one that hadn’t been seen in eastern
Arkansas in almost 125 years! It was creeping St. John’s wort
(Hypericum adpressum) and he was, justifiably, pretty excited.
Baker had been working through the species folders in
alphabetical order, starting with Hypericum adpressum,
represented at UARK by a single Arkansas collection made in
2006 from Saline County by Theo Witsell. At the time, this
This was, in a sense, the second time he had found this species in
the Grand Prairie. Six months before, back in January, Baker
4
PLANT OF THE ISSUE: CREEPING ST. JOHN’S WORT
Saline County collection was believed to be the first of this
species from Arkansas and was published as a state record (first
collection from the state) in the summer of 2007 in the inaugural
issue of the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas
(formerly Sida). Baker did a double-take and realized that this
1884 specimen was not H. sphaerocarpum as the label said, but
matched the 2006 Witsell collection. This was a major find.
Not only did it establish that there was, at least at one time, H.
adpressum in the wet grasslands of the Grand Prairie, but H.
adpressum is a globally rare species considered to be a very high
conservation priority in every state where it occurs.
Then, Baker, under contract with the Arkansas Natural Heritage
Commission to update older rare plant records from natural
areas in the Grand Prairie, found the real live plants still growing
in the region! This turn of events is exciting in many ways, but
it really goes to show the value of botanical specimens,
especially old ones. Nearly 99.9% of the grasslands in the
Grand Prairie have been destroyed since Harvey’s day, and his
collections provide some of the few clues as to what was there
historically, before the prairies were decimated (like his Grand
Prairie collections of snowy orchid [Platanthera nivea], which
has never been found in Arkansas again). It was this Harvey
collection that alerted us to even the remote possibility that
creeping St. John’s wort might be found in this region of the
state. And it was the search image Baker had from examining
the Harvey specimen that allowed him to know it when he saw it
in the field.
After Baker returned to Fayetteville and emailed Witsell to let
him know about the discovery, Witsell hightailed it to the
Railroad Prairie to search other marshes on the natural area.
This led to an additional site being found, not far from Baker’s
site. Both populations are small and, now that they have been
accurately mapped and counted, will be carefully managed and
monitored into the future. These events also highlight the
importance of even tiny protected remnants of original
vegetation like the Railroad Prairie. They are precious and are
worth the effort it takes to protect and manage them.
—Theo Witsell
ABOVE: Labels on the Harvey specimen—from 1884 to 2008.
The lower label is the original, in Harvey’s handwriting
(identified only to genus). The more recent ones above are
annotation labels (labels attached by experts who have
examined the specimen)—one from 1974 identifying the
specimen as H. sphaerocarpum, and Baker’s 2008 label with
the H. adpressum annotation. Such labels, especially on older
specimens, tell the history of that specimen.
Creeping St. John’s wort requires open, seasonally wet
habitat and is specifically adapted to precipitation-driven
ponds and swales with a zone of fluctuating water. The
habitat above is a rare type of channel scar pond on an old
(abandoned) stream terrace of the Alum Fork of the Saline
River in Saline County. H. adpressum forms a ring around
the edge of such depressions where water keeps competition
from other species down. Photo by John Pelton.
5
SPRING 2008 ANPS
GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
NEW MEMBERS
The following new members have joined the ANPS
since the last issue of Claytonia, from February to
August 2008:
Comfort Inn Convention Center
Harrison, Arkansas
April 5, 2008
New Members
Linda Chambers called meeting to order at 8:35 pm. Linda
thanked Staria Vanderpool and Jean Ann Moles for their efforts
in organizing our 2008 Meeting. Linda announced having
Vascular Flora books for sale and also reported the sale of 33 Tshirts.
Carol Bantle (Royal, AR)
Thomas Bruce ( Little Rock, AR)
Phil & Jan Bullington (Maumelle, AR)
Shelley Buttgen (Berryville, AR)
Carlon Cagle (Fayetteville, AR)
Carol Chappell (North Little Rock, AR)
Cindi Cope (Fayetteville, AR)
Nancy Dockter (North Little Rock, AR)
Laetitia East (Little Rock, AR)
Grady Ford (Little Rock, AR)
Jack & Claudia Hamilton (Little Rock, AR)
Sue Hollis (Kansas City, MO)
Cody Hooks (Little Rock, AR)
Frank James (Maumelle, AR)
Paula & David Knighton (White Hall, AR)
Barbara Landrum (Hot Springs Village, AR)
Katherine Matthews (Scott, AR)
David Moore (Rolla, MO)
Roselie Overby (Oak Grove, LA)
Esta Lee Pattie (Lead Hill, AR)
Millicent Phillips (Marshall, AR)
Ann Porter (Harrison, AR)
Kathleen Redd (Mandeville, AR)
Chuck Robinson (Parkville, MO)
Darcia Routh (North Little Rock, AR)
Joanna Seibert (Morrilton, AR)
Lynn Senn (Little Rock, AR)
Lisa, Charles, & Max Vargo (Royal, AR)
Sharron Walter (Paron, AR)
Claire Whiteside (Harrison, AR)
Kathleen H. Wittmann (Franklin, AR)
Minutes: Maury Baker made motion to accept the Fall 2007
General Meeting Minutes as published in the Claytonia, Staria
Vanderpool seconded and all agreed.
Treasurer’s Report: Jerry McGary presented the treasurer’s
report. He went over the financial records beginning October 7April 1. He explained in detail the expensees for distributing the
Carl Hunter books. He announced the approval of our 501(c)3
non-profit status. Maury Baker made motion to approve, Susie
Teague seconded and all were in favor.
Membership Report: Maury Baker announced 375 members.
He attributed a number of new members to the distribution of
our ANPS Brochures. He reminded everyone about the dues.
Old Business: Maury Baker explained the structure of the Bylaws and the need for changing terminology to provide more
flexibility in awarding scholarships, awards, and grants. The
proposed amendment was presented in the Claytonia as
required. The board recommended approval. Eric Sundell made
a motion to approve, Linda Chambers seconded. All agreed.
Linda Chambers announced the book-plate design for the Carl
Hunter books was ready to be applied to the books. Barbara
Baker, Maury Baker and Theo Witsell will apply the bookplates. They will be distributed to the Public Libraries.
New Business: Brent Baker presented a follow up on his work
with the Arkansas Vascular Flora Project. He requested a
donation to help complete printing of the AVFP Atlas. Theo
Witsell suggested ANPS give a donation of $5,000.00 for this
project. Susie Teague made motion to approve, Meredith York
seconded and all approved.
New Life Members
Virginia Alexander (Conway, AR)
Bill Beall (Fort Smith, AR)
Cheryl Lavers (Jonesboro, AR)
Norman Lavers (Jonesboro, AR)
Larry Lowman (Wynne, AR)
Mary Reuter (Berryville, AR)
Lynn Senn (Little Rock, AR)
John Simpson (Hot Springs, AR)
Eric Sundell reminded everyone of Earth Day and requested
help with the booth at the Clinton Library.
Linda Chambers requested conclusion of the meeting. Maury
Baker made motion to adjourn, Eric Sundell seconded and all
approved.
We welcome these new members to the ANPS and
hope to see them at the Fall Meeting!
Respectfully Submitted,
Susie Teague
6
FIELD TRIP REPORTS
species, Fagus
sylvatica, that’s
widely grown in
American gardens,
By Eric Sundell
especially in copper,
weeping, and
Under the beech wood tree
corkscrew forms.
Who loves to lie with me?
North America also
And turn his merry note
is home to a single
Unto the sweet bird’s throat?
species, our own F.
grandifolia, that
Come hither, come hither!
ranges from eastern
Here you’ll find no enemy
Canada south to
But winter and rough weather.
Louisiana and Texas.
With sugar maple
Burnetta Hinterthuer and Brent Baker led a large group of us to
and yellow birch, the
Lost Valley for one of the most exquisite and spectacular rich
American beech
woods wildflower shows I’ve ever seen. The spring perennials
dominates the central
were at high tide: toothwort, hepatica, phlox, rue anemone,
northern hardwood
yellow bellwort (the largest, showiest one), yellow dog-tooth
forests of Ohio,
violet, several real violets (blues and yellows), wood betony (a
Indiana, and
locally common purple form). Two kinds of trillium were open: southern Michigan.
Ozark wake robin, which ages from pure white to an alluring
In the 19th century,
pink, and one of the purple nosebleeds, the scarcer one, Trillium beechnuts were one
sessile, in both its familiar purple and less familiar yellow forms. of the favorite foods Old-growth beech (Fagus grandifolia) at
Dismal Hollow Research Natural Area,
Even the wildflowers not yet in bloom were tantalizing—
of the passenger
in Newton County, where beech trees
mayapples and two species of waterleaf, in particular, proclaimed pigeon. Rebecca
were protected from logging by bluffs
that high tide would last at least another couple of weeks.
Rupp in a florid
and grow nearly five feet in diameter.
natural history and
Photo: Gayle Garrison/ANHC.
The setting for these floral fireworks was hardwood forest
lore of North
dominated by beech trees. No tree in North America is more
American trees, Red
impressive than a large, smooth-barked beech. Trees can reach
Oaks and Black Birches, lists beechnuts at the top of the birds’
70-80 feet and rarely even 100-120, with trunks 2-3 feet in
menu, and Audubon’s portrait of a pair of passenger pigeons
diameter. In former times, diameters of 4 feet were not
places them on beech boughs beside a cluster of withered leaves,
uncommon. In A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and
i.e., during mast time. The clearing of those great beech forests
Central North America, Donald Culross Peattie describes the
especially in the north central states is thought to have been as
beech, in almost any landscape, as the finest tree to be seen: “Far decisive as slaughter to the extinction of the passenger pigeon.
down the aisles of the forest the beech is identifiable by the
Disjunct islands of beech trees grow at relatively high elevation
gleam of its wondrously smooth bark, not furrowed even by
in the mountains of eastern Mexico, where they occur with a
extreme old age.” In autumn, beech leaves turn a bright golden
number of species we’re familiar with here in the southeastern
yellow. In winter—more or less as we saw them on April 5th— forests, like sweetgum, black cherry, trumpet vine, yellow
the gray, skin-tight bark of even the most massive trees is set off jessamine, and poison-ivy.
against a web of branches tipped with slender, lustrous brown,
inch-long buds, the longest winter buds of any North American
Beech trees in North America are sufficiently abundant to have
tree. In the understory, the young beeches aren’t conventionally acquired their very own parasite, the highly specialized Epifagus
deciduous—their bleached leaves hang on the branches through
virginiana, or beech drops. The genus is monotypic—though
the winter, and you can spot the saplings from the highway just as there are other species of beech in the Northern Hemisphere,
clearly as you can the dogwoods in early spring. Except on
there are no other beech drops. Like the mycotrophic Indian
Crowley’s Ridge, beech populations in Arkansas are uncommon pipes we saw during the Hot Springs meeting last fall, the plants
and scattered—for several years Don Crank has searched
have no chlorophyll. They’re root parasites, penetrating and
unsuccessfully for his first beech tree of Garland County.
living within and upon the roots of the host trees and drawing
from them all the nourishment they need to sustain their brief
Worldwide, there are 8-10 species of beech, all in the Northern
annual activity above the ground. In late summer and fall,
Hemisphere and most of them in Asia. Europe has a single
delicate, succulent stems emerge from the soil to flower, and then
Lost Valley Field Trip, ANPS Spring Meeting
in Harrison, April 5, 2008
7
FIELD TRIP REPORTS
set and disperse seeds—the tiny, purplish flowers are pretty
under a lens; the pollination system is apparently complex,
involving two different kinds of flowers with different functions.
The stems desiccate and shrink through the winter to form
tough, wiry, blackened skeletons, persistent enough for us to
find them under the larger beech trees about six months later
during that glorious walk through Lost Valley.
grassland which is
as much a research
site for prescribed
fire applications and
free-ranging bison
management as a
botanical preserve.*
Beech trees are imperiled by a blight called beech bark disease,
caused when an exotic (non-native) scale insect attacks and
weakens the bark, allowing a pathogenic fungus, an ascomycete
of the genus Nectria, to invade and often kill it. More damage
can occur when other insects and fungi penetrate the wood
beneath the dead bark. Heavy infestations of beech bark disease
in the Northeast have caused high mortality in beech stands.
The scale insect, Cryptococcus fagisuga, was introduced into
Nova Scotia in the 1890’s. The disease was first recognized in
Nova Scotia in 1920 and in the U.S. in Massachusetts in 1929.
The scale insect is now known throughout New England, New
York, and New Jersey and continues to spread to the southwest.
It was discovered in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in
1994. Perhaps there’s reason for optimism in the fact that some
trees in heavily infected stands seem to be resistant to the beech
scale and remain vigorous and disease free.
This was my second
trip with the ANPS
group to the
preserve as a similar
event was organized
in September,
2006. The two
experiences were
radically different
since the previous
fall trip was during
the worst drought in
50 years and this
spring was the
wettest in the same
time span.
Poppy mallow (Callirhoe), Tallgrass
Joe Woolbright said Prairie Preserve. Photo: Linda Ellis.
the first section we
journeyed through was recently acquired by the Nature
Conservancy and it had a completely different look to it than
longer-held areas of the prairie that had undergone prescribed
fire management. It had obviously been grazing land for cattle
as the populations of bitter, unpalatable forbs, referred to as
“increaser” species far outnumbered the “decreaser” species or
those that ruminants prefer. For example, one of the most
prevalent species in this section and throughout the park was
Asclepias viridis, commonly called antelope horn or spider
milkweed. This plant, when broken, exudes the toxic, white sap
for which the family is known and is avoided by
grazers. Another very prevalent species was Psoralidium
tenuiflorum, commonly known as slimleaf scurf pea. The
abundance of this purple flowered legume surprised me as I had
always considered plants in the Fabaceae (bean and pea family)
to be a favorite of ungulates. This plant is reported to be
poisonous to cattle, however, which accounts for it remaining
untouched. I also saw other bitterly aromatic species similarly
avoided like yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and mexican hat
(Ratibida columnifera) in this new section of the park.
Tales from the Border (of Missouri and
Arkansas ): A Trip to the Tallgrass Prairie
Preserve in Oklahoma
By Linda S. Ellis
This is the tale of another border, the one between Oklahoma
and Kansas and the ANPS field trip to the Nature Conservancy’s
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. On Saturday May 31st, 2008, Joe
Woolbright, our master prairie manager and Joe Neal, birder
extraordinaire, led us on a trip to the 45,000 acre Flint hills
In the original part of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, the plants
we encountered included pale pink showy evening-primrose
(Oenothera speciosa) in abundant numbers, sky blue Carolina
larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum), the hot pink flowers of
sensitive brier (Schrankia uncinata), bright yellow greenthread
(Thelesperma filifolium), orange butterfly milkweed (Asclepias
Photo by Linda Ellis.
8
FIELD TRIP REPORTS
tuberosa) and the delicate white blooms of Callirhoe alcaeoides
or pale poppy mallow. Each turn of the road revealed a full
spectrum of colors arranged at random creating a rich display for
the botanist’s or artist’s eye.
this species on several sites, even on prairies that have seen little
to no paintbrush for several years. Seasonality of burning is
also evidently a factor, with spring burning negatively affecting
the paintbrush more severely than fall burning.
What I didn’t see was any sign of the standard prairie species
that I expected like pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
or beebalm (Monarda fistulosa). Apparently, during the
debilitating drought of the previous years, the bison were left on
the preserve and, although they live almost exclusively on
grasses, in extreme need or in winter, they will eat almost
anything. I think the combination of severe drought and 2,500
hungry bison have decreased species diversity on this preserve at
this time and it may be a while in recovering.
Trip to Lake Leatherwood and Ninestone,
Carroll County
By Burnetta Hinterthuer
The Ozarks Chapter of the Arkansas Native Plant Society visited
Carroll County on May 17th. In the morning, we visited Lake
Leatherwood with Brent Baker leading the hike. Others were
Linda Ellis, Frank and Mary Reuter, Don Mills, Jim Dudley,
Rick Hinterthuer, Adam Hinterthuer, Ginny Masullo, Annie
Littell, Steve Holst and myself. We took a trail that begins in a
low floodplain and leads up to a ridge glade. Since we were
going on to Ninestone in the afternoon, we did not hike the entire
trail. But, we were very happy to find a new site for false
hellebore (Veratrum woodii—a state species of conservation
concern), along the upper woodland trail. This turned out to be
the second known site for the species in the county. Many of the
more common wildflowers seemed to have benefited from the
abundant rain this spring. The waterfall was cascading over the
shelves and looking beautiful as usual. Judith and Don said that
it never stopped flowing throughout the year. A group of birders
including Joe Neal and Joe Woolbright had visited in the
morning.
I also wondered about the lack of Indian paintbrush (Castilleja
coccinea) on the park as I had seen it blooming along roadsides
we passed that day. The TGPP, I found out, has conducted a
comprehensive fire management program under the direction of
Bob Hamilton, director of science and stewardship for the
Nature Conservancy. The patch burn method that has been
implemented there has aided in-depth research on prairie chicken
recovery. Burning, however, is a major setback to the Indian
paintbrush and now it is not listed as occurring in the park at
all**.
The birders among us were kept busy with some interesting
sightings. The most frequently seen bird that day was the
Dickcissel. I had heard this bird has been in serious decline in
recent years due to pesticide usage and habitat loss in Mexico
and northern South America where it migrates in winter. I hope
the large population we saw on the preserve indicates a
comeback for this species. They were everywhere. Joe Neal got
his spotting scope on an Upland Sandpiper which was typically
perched on a fence post and also spotted a Prairie Chicken on the
cattle grazed section. As much as I like botanizing and birding,
one can get whiplash trying to do both at once.
The spring’s abundant rainfall was in evidence at Ninestone as
well. We walked out to the glade site where we saw the first
Barbara’s buttons (Marshallia cespitosa var. cespitosa) of the
Our day ended not with sunset but with more rain followed by
more rain Sunday all the way back to my border. Having visited
tallgrass preserves all across Missouri and in other states, I must
say I enjoy the greater species diversity on an ungrazed prairie
but the dramatic experience of being in the middle of a bison
herd makes a trip to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve a must.
* For further information, go to the Nature Conservancy in
Oklahoma website (www.nature.org) and click on the Tall Grass
Prairie Preserve link. Especially interesting is a series of
articles called “Across the Fence” written by TGPP volunteer
Bill Rinehart for the Pawhuska newspaper.
** Editor’s note: Similar declines in Indian paintbrush have
been seen in some Arkansas prairies managed exclusively with
fire, but the incorporation of summer or fall haying as a
management tool has resulted in the dramatic reappearance of
There is no mistaking the wide, pleated foliage of Wood’s
false hellebore (Veratrum woodii), a rare species of rich
woods in the Arkansas mountains. Photo by Linda Ellis.
9
Seeds of American Bellflower
Needed for Research Project
FIELD TRIP REPORTS
We are studying the genetic basis of reproductive isolation in
Campanulastrum americanum (Campanulaceae) (synonym =
Campanula americana; common name = American Bellflower)
both in the field and in the greenhouse at the University of
Virginia. We identified you as Arkansas native plant
enthusiasts who might be willing to help us in our endeavor.
As part of our ongoing research, we are hoping to obtain seed
from populations throughout this species' range (essentially the
eastern half of the U.S.), and have been very fortunate to have
found volunteer collectors representing most areas therein.
These collectors will collect a small amount of seed on our
behalf later this summer/fall and send it to us here in the
Biology Department at the University of Virginia. However,
we have been unable to find willing volunteers anywhere in the
state of Arkansas.
Barbara’s buttons (Marshallia cespitosa var. cespitosa), just
beginning to bloom. Photo by Craig Fraiser.
Therefore, I am writing to you now in the hope that you may
know of someone who might be willing to collect seed (a few
seed pods from each of 20-30 individuals) from a population
anywhere in the state of Arkansas. The seeds from a given
individual could be stored together, but the seed from separate
individuals would need to be kept separate. Of course, to make
this process as easy as possible, we would be very happy to
send our collecting protocol and collection and mailing
supplies to willing parties.
year opening up, with many others promising they would soon
follow. Two species of false dandelion (Krigia dandelion and
Krigia biflora) were in bloom along with coreopsis, sandwort,
yellow star grass, sedum, phacelia, and false garlic, which were
widespread over the glade. Judith described having found great
Indian plantain (Arnoglossum muhlenbergii) at a woodland site
and will report to ANHC as a new county location. A fringe tree
in the front yard was in full bloom and smelled great as well.
One of the most startling finds of the day was in the seep area
where a beautiful copperhead snake lay hidden by the
surrounding previous season’s leaves. I finally noticed it after
stepping over for the second time. Thanks again to Judith and
Don for welcoming us at Ninestone.
Photo by Craig Fraiser.
Thank you. Any help you might be able to offer would be
greatly appreciated.—Brian Barringer / Department of
Biology / University of Virginia / Charlottesville, VA 22904 /
[email protected]
Widow’s cross (Sedum pulchellum). Photo by Craig Fraiser.
10
ARKANSAS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
FALL 2008 MEETING & PLANT AUCTION
OCTOBER 24-26, 2008
MAMMOTH SPRING, ARKANSAS
LOCATION
Meeting events will be held in the historic Episcopal Church
building, located at 575 Main Street, adjacent to the City Park,
in Mammoth Spring. It is easily located. If you enter from
US 63 (the north or south), turn west at the three-way
intersection of US 63 and Main Street. From the west,
Arkansas Hwy 9 becomes Main Street. Parking is available at
the Episcopal Chruch building, the park, and adjoining streets.
The fall meeting of the Arkansas Native Plant Society will be
held the weekend of October 24, with Mammoth Spring as the
base for our meeting and field trips. Plan now to join the
Arkansas Native Plant Society in Mammoth Spring this
weekend. It’s been several years since the group met in the
north part of the state for the fall meeting, so we’ll have a
chance to see the diversity of fall wildflowers and the fall
foliage display.
If you need information about the city, Mammoth Spring State
Park or other area sites, check with the staff at the State Park
Visitor Center, located to the east of US 63, as you enter
Mammoth Spring.
The community of Mammoth Spring is located on the Spring
River at the Arkansas/Missouri border at Mammoth Spring,
the 10th largest spring in the world (for more information
about the region visit the website at: http://
www.mammothspringar.com/home.html). The spring is the
source of the Spring River, a popular float stream, and a well
known rainbow trout fishery. The area is noted for the scenic
beauty and relaxed environment. Nearby communities
include Hardy (http://www.oldhardytown.net/content/
index.html) and Cherokee Village (http://www.sracc.com/).
REGISTRATION
Registration costs $5.00 and occurs on-site Friday from 5:00
PM to 7:00 PM, at the Episcopal Church building (575 Main
Street). At the registration table we’ll have sign-up sheets and
trip information for various field trips. Registration will also
be available Saturday evening.
Natural features of the region include forested (cedar) glades,
open glades, upland oak hickory forests and woodlands,
prairie, and wetlands. Two features of the fall meeting
include the aquatic and wetland plants of Spring River, and
plants of Rock Creek Natural Area (a dedicated state Natural
Area embedded in the Harold E. Alexander State Wildlife
Management Area). Rock Creek Natural Area includes a
series of calcareous seep-fen and dolomite glade plant
communities associated with Rock Creek. It contains one of
the highest concentrations of rare plant species in Arkansas,
and includes examples of one of the rarest plant communities
– calcareous fens. Notable fall-flowering plants include
Riddell’s goldenrod (Solidago riddellii), grass-of-Parnassus
(Parnassia grandifolia), purple leaf willowherb (Epilobium
coloratum), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and big blue
lobelia (L. siphilitica).
A NOTE ABOUT THE FIELD TRIPS
Up to date information will be provided at the Friday evening
program. If you would like to lead a field trip on Saturday or
Sunday, please contact the editor or StariaVanderpool and let
us know. If anyone would like to arrive early and visit some
of the areas, then lead a fieldtrip to that area, please get in
touch with Staria Vanderpool. This area has not been
explored as thoroughly as some regions of the state, so we
don’t have many people who are familiar with the area. The
more trips the better…
AGENDA
Friday, October 24th
Field trips being planned include a range of difficulty, from
paved trails through Mammoth Spring State Park, to slippery
and wet (aquatic plants of the Spring River). Final details of
field trips will be published on the ANPS website. Full
information about field trips will be available Friday evening
at the meeting.
5:00 – 7:00 pm: Registration
7:00 pm: NATIVE PLANT AUCTION – FUNDRAISER
This year’s event begins at 7PM on Friday evening with our
annual native plant auction in the Episcopal Church building.
This popular fundraiser is great for those who want grow and
11
culture natives in their own gardens. The informal auction
offers plants lovingly grown by our members; these plants have
not been taken from their native location unless threatened by
habitat destruction. Items such as books, seeds, crafts,
homemade jams, garden tools, carved wood items, etc. are often
featured as part of the auction. Proceeds from the auction
support scholarships and research activities by young botanists
studying Arkansas plants.
$62.00 + tax. Upstairs rooms are described as larger, with a
spectacular view of the river. In-room coffee is provided, but
does not include breakfast. Reservations may be made by
calling 870.625.3218.
Jewel’s Log Cabins. Six new log cabins are available for rent.
These are located directly across US 63, behind the Cedar Mall
Flea Market. Cabin rental ranges from $85.00 + tax to $129.00
+ tax. Cabin rental is based on the number of people in the
party, with 3 cabins accommodating up to 6 people, and 3
cabins accommodating up to 8 people. Each cabin includes a
stove, refrigerator, and microwave. Linens are provided, and
minimal cooking gear. Call Dan at 870.625.0521 to reserve a
cabin. He recommends that reservations could usually be made
up to 2 – 3 weeks in advance of a planned visit.
If you have items to donate for the auction, simply bring them to
the meeting and give them to one of the organizers. To fuel
auction participants, we will provide coffee, soft drinks, and
snacks. We appreciate members who bring snacks to share.
Saturday, October 25th
Roseland Inn Bed and Breakfast, located at 570 Bethel Street
in Mammoth Spring, provides 4 bedrooms, at $60.00 + tax.
Reservations may be made by calling 870.625.3378, or emailing
the owner at [email protected].
8:30 am: Field trips depart from designated sites.
Please pickup a fieldtrip sheet at the meeting on Friday night.
Some trips will be held concurrently in the morning and will be
offered again in the afternoon, so people should be able to make
two of these half day trips.
Camping: Camping is available during the summer season
from the following businesses, but they may not be open after
Labor Day. Contact them if you are interested in camping.
Flooding during the 2008 spring damaged numerous riverside
campgrounds, which may or may not be open this fall.
7:00 pm: Evening Program: Dinner is on your own, then at
7, we meet again at 575 Main Street, Old Episcopal Church
building, for our evening program.
Riverside Resort
Harold Chaffin
63 North, South of Mammoth Spring
Mammoth Spring, AR - 72554
(870) 625-7501
After a break for refreshments the Society’s business meeting
will follow.
Sunday, October 26th
8:30 am: Field trips depart from designated sites.
Southfork Resort
Chris and Julie McCollum
7230 Hwy 289 N
Mammoth Spring, AR - 72554
(870) 895-2803
CONTACTS
If you have places in the region that you want to share,
questions about the meeting, or need assistance, contact
StariaVanderpool (870.926.5793) or by email
([email protected]). You may also contact the editor, Theo
Witsell at 501.831.7473. We look forward to seeing you all in
Mammoth Spring in October.
Additional accommodations are available in Hardy and
Cherokee Village (16 scenic miles south of Mammoth Spring,
off Hwy 63 and Hwy 412).
DINING
ACCOMMODATIONS
Several restaurants are located in or near Mammoth Spring.
Thayer, Missouri is approximately 3 miles north of Mammoth
Spring, accessed by US Hwy 63. Other restaurants are found in
the Hardy-Cherokee Village area, south of Mammoth Spring,
and in West Plains, Missouri, approximately 35 miles north of
Mammoth Spring, on US Hwy 63.
Mammoth Spring Lodge, U.S. Hwy 63, at the Arkansas/
Missouri state line. We have 20 rooms blocked for the meeting,
for the conference rate of $66.00 for a single, with doubles, and
family suites also available. Contact the lodge for rates for
larger rooms. ANPS participants will receive a 15% discount
(to get this rate, you need to show a copy of the newsletter).
Room blocks will be in place until October 1. Reservations
may be made by phone (870.625.0099) or web
(www.mammothspringlodgemotel.com). A continental
breakfast is served from 6:00 – 10:00.
- Fred’s Fish House, 225 Main Street, Mammoth Spring
- Hog Wild Pizza, 201 Main Street, Mammoth Spring
- Out of the Way Café, 365 Main Street, Mammoth Spring
- Woods Riverbend Restaurant, 80 Main Street, Mammoth Spg.
- Stateline Restaurant, Hwy 63 North, Thayer, Missouri.
- Sonic Drive-In, Hwy 63 North, Mammoth Spring
- Warm Fork Restaurant, 210 Risner Street, Thayer, Missouri
- Dairy Queen, Junction Hwy 63 and Hwy 19, Thayer, Missouri
- The Whistle Stop Café, 101 Chestnut Street, Thayer, Missouri
Other lodging in the area includes:
Riverview Motel, located off Hwy 63, on the south side of
town. Rooms at the Riverview Motel range from 48.00 + tax to
12
REVIEWS
Hawthorn 7, Pasture Haw 9; American Elm 24, Slippery Elm 14,
Winged Elm 22; Blackgum 30; Persimmon 17; Japanese
Honeysuckle 11; Chinese Privet 4; Callery Pear 38. The
pictures are bright and sharp and for the most part judiciously
selected, showing habit (form), bark, buds, leaves, flowers, and
fruits. Attention to critical detail is everywhere: bark of older
trunks and younger branches compared; upper and lower leaf
surfaces contrasted in a single frame; twigs and buds standard
for most of the trees; for Red Mulberry, the tiny branch scar
beside the terminal bud as well as the arching lateral leaf veins
perfectly illustrated. Included are pictures of enormous interest
but nonessential for purposes of identification—oak catkins, for
example—a nice touch of enrichment. The most thoroughly
treated species, with 20-30+ images, do tend to become
repetitious and could be pruned. Rarely do key characters go
unillustrated—in a quick sampling of the main program’s
images, I found only one instance: missing are the little pitch
pockets in the bark of Shortleaf Pine by which it can be readily
distinguished from Loblolly. Similarly, the program is marked
by a high degree of accuracy, and I noticed only one species
mislabeled: pictures of “European Privet” were of Chinese
Privet, Arkansas’ Public Enemy No. 2. There are of course
some important, even diagnostic field characters for which a few
words are worth a thousand pictures: the aroma of a bruised
Sassafras twig, the taste of the inner bark of Slippery Elm. And
finally, range and habitat, essential information for students of
tree identification, are not illustrated or described and should be
worked into a future edition. A virtual textbook can be
extremely clever, and here the lessons are probably less routine
and more enjoyable in 3-dimensional cyberspace than they
might be on 2-dimensional pages: pictures can be scrambled,
they can be advanced manually or at varying speeds, they can be
mixed with other species—there is a lot to explore.
Woody Plants of
the Southeastern
United States: A
Field Botany
Course on CD
By Bruce
Kirchoff, Ph.D.
Missouri
Botanical Garden
Press. $27.
In the heat of an Arkansas summer, wouldn’t it be pleasant to
take a botanical field course in tree identification in the air
conditioned, chigger-free comfort of your living room? This is
now possible with a new “publication” (2008) from the Missouri
Botanical Garden, Woody Plants of the Southeastern United
States: A Field Botany Course on CD. It is so chock-full of
excellent color photographs, you can study both beginner and
intermediate tree identification without stepping outside. You
slip the CD into the computer and let your mouse do the
walking! If the course takes you all summer, you won’t have to
test your mettle on a real tree until fall, when the highs are back
into the 70’s and 80’s, the black gums are in full color, and the
oaks are offering mature acorns for study aids. The CD is part
of the “Image Quiz family of programs,” whose goal is to
“increase understanding of complex subjects through visual
learning.” To a great extent, it works. Hundreds of critically
detailed pictures can make the study of tree identification faster
and easier.
When you have finished your homework, the program
challenges you with both quizzes and tests. The quizzes
especially are a lot of fun and, depending on your time settings,
very challenging: you can choose Image Naming, Image
Comparison (Do the two pictures represent the same or different
species?), or Image Verification (Is the name suggested correct
or not?). And you get feedback! Clever students are rewarded
with five different praise responses: “Good job!” “Great!”
“Excellent!” “Affirmative!” and “Way to go!” On the other
hand, the slacker receives only a single, monotonously repeated
response: “Your answer is incorrect. Would you like to try
again?” (It would be fun here to encourage better study habits
with a few more colorful negatives: “You’ve gotta be kidding!”
“Give me a break!” “No way!” “Ohhhhhhh, sorry!” “Tsk!
Tsk!”)
The disk comprises two separately authored “modules,” what I’ll
call the “main program” (created by Bruce Kirchoff, Ph.D., of
University of North Carolina Greensboro) and “Text &
Images” (created by Alexander Krings, of North Carolina State
University in Raleigh). If the CD is a dendrology course, then
the main program is the textbook, and Text & Images
supplements it like a lab manual. The main program includes 3
species lists arranged by family, genus, and common name as
well as a slate of advanced spelling, timing, and testing features.
And of course there’s a tutorial on how to run the program and
make use of all its bells and whistles. This review will deal
mostly with the main program.
The species list for the main program includes some 250 kinds
of trees, shrubs, and woody vines, each one illustrated by
between 2 (Table Mountain Pine) and 39 (Hornbeam) images.
Most species have 1-2 dozen. Here are picture counts for some
Arkansas plants: Red Maple 20, Sugar Maple 25, Silver Maple
13, Box Elder 26; White Ash 16, Green Ash 20; Parsley
A drawback to the main program—this one serious—is that the
images are not supported by text. There is no reference to
diagnostic features—even when they’re illustrated—by which a
particular species can be distinguished from its closest allies or
13
REVIEWS
look-alikes. For example, although white ash and green ash fruits
are clearly shown, no description is offered to highlight the rather
subtle difference between them that is one of the surest ways to
tell those two difficult species apart. There are no arrows, like in
the Peterson bird guides, to direct your attention to the key
characters. Your powers of observation must be keen, and you’ll
need to supplement them with another reference work that tells
you what to look for—a field botany guide rather than just a
course. For this reason, it is not unfair to say that the main
program tends to be least helpful when you need it most: to tell
the toughest species apart, like White and Green Ash, Cherrybark
and Southern
Red Oak,
Hackberry
and
Sugarberry,
Blackgum
and
Persimmon,
Red Mulberry
and
Basswood.
The All
Pictures/No
Text problem
with the main
program is
mitigated by
the CD’s
ancillary
module called
“Text &
Images.”
Here, families
and genera
are
technically
described,
Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Photo
with key
by Carl Hunter.
characters in
clickable blue
font. Thus a read-and-click through the description of, say, the
genus Quercus (the oaks), gives you instant images of leaves,
acorns, twigs, leaf scars, terminal bud clusters, bark, and more.
(These images are from the website
www.bioimages.vanderbilt.edu and require an Internet
connection to view.) Although Text & Images does not solve or
even address the problem of telling certain exasperating species
pairs apart, it’s nonetheless an informative and enjoyable
supplement. A list of species follows each genus. And technical
references are provided.
comprehensive coverage of Arkansas species. Because we’re so
much on the geographic fringe of things, regional or local
species, however important or intriguing they seem to us, tend to
disappear—for example, Ashe’s Juniper, Sandbar Willow, Vernal
Witch Hazel, Cedar Elm, Nuttall Oak, Durand Oak, Maple Leaf
Oak, Black Hickory, Texas Sophora, and Western Soapberry.
(That both authors of the current CD live and work in North
Carolina doesn’t help.) Another group that gets short shrift in a
general work is that of the taxonomic troublemakers: large,
complex genera like hawthorns, plums, grapes, azaleas, and
blueberries—in the current work, the Arkansas casualties include
18 hawthorns, several plums, 5 grapes, all 3 wild azaleas, and 3
kinds of blueberries (or 1 if you lump them into Vaccinium
corymbosum). But this would be expected even in the heart of
Dixie. What one does not expect in a floristic study of the
“Southeastern United States” is a sizeable group of no-shows
comprising species common or at least occurring both in
Arkansas and the Southeast generally: what happened here, for
example, to Southern Catalpa, Water Hickory, Chinkapin, White
Mulberry, Carolina Ash and Pumpkin Ash, Swamp Cottonwood,
and several shrubs and vines? Finally, and also unaccountably,
three economic and ecological giants from the Atlantic and Gulf
Coastal Plains—indigenous below our southern border—are
missing: Slash Pine and Longleaf Pine, and Live Oak. I could
find no statement explaining the criteria for inclusion of species
in the main program. And I could find no explicit geographic
description of “the Southeastern United States.” (Is Arkansas in
or merely close?) I could have overlooked these specifications in
the CD’s cyberspace, but whether missing or only tucked away in
a corner, they are specifications that are absolute requirements of
any floristic effort and should be clearly and prominently
communicated to the user. (In the “Text & Images” module,
Alexander Krings states that his area of coverage is identical to
that of Alan S. Weakley’s on-line Flora of the Carolinas,
Virginia, and Georgia, and Surrounding Areas, where
“surrounding areas” include Tennessee and Mississippi but do
not cross the Mississippi River into Arkansas. For whatever
reason, Krings’ species list does not precisely match Kirchoff’s,
and many of the species cited above as AWOL from the main
program are in fact enumerated in Text & Images and in some
cases illustrated with a few photographs.)
To buy or not to buy? Woody Plants of the Southeastern United
States was developed more for academic users than for amateur
naturalists. The program can serve as a great backup to a
dendrology textbook and help prepare undergraduates for the
weekly ID quiz. Then again, the numerous pictures are among
the best you’ll find on the Internet or in any woody plant manual
or guidebook, and the program drawbacks are minor, especially if
you own a companion Hunter’s Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of
Arkansas. So if you’re an ANPS member looking for a rigorous
“Field Botany Course”—or at least for some tutoring—on woody
plants, for $27, the CD is a pretty good bargain.
Short of a technical floristic work, it’s doubtful that any treatment
of the woody plants of the Southeast would provide satisfactory, —REVIEW BY ERIC SUNDELL
14
populations. Ash trees make up approximately 3 percent of
forests and 14 percent of urban trees in Missouri. Since no ash
trees in North America are known to be resistant to the pest,
infestations are devastating to these tree species.
Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed
in Missouri, 30 Miles From
Arkansas Border—Ash Seed
Collection Effort Underway
Missouri is the ninth state to have a confirmed emerald ash borer
infestation. The pest was first found in Michigan in 2002. Since
that time, seven other states (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia) have confirmed
infestations. Missouri is the farthest south and west of any other
known emerald ash borer infestation.
Editor’s Note: This is bad news. I just learned of this recently,
and it is only a matter of time before this destructive pest arrives
in Arkansas. There is a national effort (The National Ash Tree
Seed Collection Initiative) being made to collect germplasm
(seed) from all native species of ash (across their ranges) as a
safeguard against their extinction (in the event that this pest
cannot be contained and ash trees in North America are
decimated). There is a simple but important protocol that needs
to be followed. For more information, visit http://
www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/pmc.html. There are five
species of ash known from Arkansas: white ash (Fraxinus
americana), green ash (F. pennsylvanica), blue ash (F.
quadrangulata), Carolina ash (F. caroliniana), and pumkin ash
(F. profunda). All are threatened. Please help in this effort if
you can.
The emerald ash borer trapping effort that revealed the infestation
is part of a monitoring program started in 2004. It is Missouri’s
contribution to a nation-wide early detection effort coordinated
by USDA in partnership with the Missouri departments of
Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the
University of Missouri.
Emerald ash borer traps are purple, prism-shaped devices with
sticky outer surfaces. The borers are attracted by the color and by
chemical scents that mimic a stressed ash tree. Insects that land
on the traps are stuck and can be identified by periodic checking.
So far, emerald ash borers have not shown up on any other traps
throughout the state.
Although adult emerald ash borers are strong fliers, they are less
likely to travel long distances when plenty of host trees are
available nearby. However, they can move long distances on
LAKE WAPPAPELLO, MO—State and federal officials are
working overtime to determine the extent of an emerald ash borer firewood and nursery stock. State officials urge Missourians not
to transport firewood from one site to another. Instead, they
infestation at Lake Wappapello and develop a strategy for
suggest that campers buy firewood locally.
containing the problem.
“The discovery of this highly destructive pest at a campground is
a strong indication that it probably arrived in firewood,” said
Conservation Department Forest Entomologist Rob Lawrence.
“If people knew how devastating this insect can be, they would
never consider bringing firewood from out of state.”
The infestation came to light July 23 when U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) scientists discovered seven suspicious
beetles on traps at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Greenville
Recreation Area in Wayne County. Officials with the USDA
confirmed the identity of the insects Friday.
Collin Wamsley, state entomologist with the Missouri
Department of Agriculture, said his agency and the Missouri
departments of Conservation and Natural Resources are prepared
to deal with the infestation. Before proceeding, however, both
state and federal agencies need to determine the its extent.
“Although it is a disappointment to find the early detection of the
emerald ash borer, it is not a surprise,” said Wamsley. “We have
been preparing for an event like this for some time. Right now,
we are doing what we can to determine the location of the
emerald ash borer. We hope to have that information soon and
begin the next steps in battling this pest."
Wamsley said the first steps that will be taken include conducting
visual searches for emerald ash borers and placing more traps
around the initial detection site. This is under way. The results of
these surveys will dictate further actions.
The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic green beetle native to
Asia. Its larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, causing trees to
starve and die. While the emerald ash borer does not pose any
direct risk to public health, it does threaten Missouri’s ash tree
15
Emerald ash borers are
small, green woodboring insects that
leave “D”-shaped holes
in the bark of ash trees.
If you suspect you have
located an infestation
in Arkansas, contact
Paul Shell at the State
Plant Board at
501.225.1598.
Photos courtesy USDA Forest Service and
Bugwood Network.
Upcoming Field Trips and Events
SEPTEMBER 20th – CHESNEY PRAIRIE NATURAL
AREA. Join prairie guru Joe Woolbright for a day of botanizing
(and birding) on the largest tallgrass prairie remnant in northwest
Arkansas (near Siloam Springs). The Arkansas Natural Heritage
Commission has just added 22 acres of high-quality mesic prairie
to the natural area, making it more than 80 acres. See the twoacre sod transplant and look for rarities like downy gentian and
white-flowered goldenrod in the prairie. Meet at Chesney Prairie
Natural Area at 10:00 AM. Directions can be found at
www.naturalheritage.org. Call Joe at 479.427.4277 if you have
any questions.
field trips. Details on pages 11 and 12 in this issue.
OCTOBER 31st-NOVEMBER 2nd – OZARK CHAPTER
MEETING. Contact Burnetta Hinterthuer for details. Email:
[email protected], phone: 479.582.0317.
NOVEMBER 1st – ALLSOPP PARK. Eric Sundell will lead a
hike into the depths of Allsopp Park, one of Little Rock’s oldest
and more botanically interesting city parks. See an interesting
mix of native woodland species and invasive plants, some quite
uncommon in the state. Meet at the west end of the Allsopp Park
Promenade on Kavanaugh Blvd. at 1:00 PM. If you have
questions call Eric at 870.723.1089.
SEPTEMBER 27th – GARNER HOMESTEAD (GARLAND
COUNTY). Join Susie Teague for a field trip to the botanically
rich Garner Homestead, located on Highway 128. This property
was homesteaded by Susie’s Great Grandparents during the mid
1800’s and still belongs to members of her family. Mill Creek
runs through the property and there is an area of old growth
forest. See plants such as the rare false hellebore, wild ginger,
starry campion, large lobelia, ashy sunflower, and many
others. The field trip will begin at 9:00 AM. contact Susie for
directions and to reserve a spot. Email:
[email protected] or Phone: 501.262.9695 or
Cell: 501.282.7475.
FIELD TRIPS NEEDED—As always, we need
people to lead field trips to interesting areas. We
know you have sites you want to take people to.
Please contact the editor if you are willing to lead a
trip in your area.
TALKING PLANTS WITH
A FOUR YEAR OLD
SEPTEMBER 27th – MOUNT MAGAZINE. Join Brent Baker
on an expedition on Mount Magazine, one of the most unique
botanical sites in the state and the state’s highest peak. Exact
trail to be determined. Plan for at least moderately difficult trails
and pack a lunch. To sign up or for more information call Brent
at 479.970.9143 or email [email protected].
By Theo (and Annaleah) Witsell
OCTOBER 4th and 5th—ARKANSAS AUDUBON ADULT
ECOLOGY CAMPS at Ferncliff Conference Center in west
Little Rock. Workshops run from 10 a.m. Saturday to 4 p.m
Sunday. Accommodations are available at Ferncliff for out-oftowners. The workshop on edible plants is full, but there are still
a few slots left for the following workshops: 1) Mushrooms and
other fungi: how to identify, collect, cook, and avoid. Jay
Justice, longtime President of the Arkansas Mycological
Society, instructor. 2) Trees of Arkansas: learn to identify
(and appreciate) our native trees. Eric Sundell, instructor.
Interested? Check it out at www.arbirds.org. And save the date.
OCTOBER 11th – PINNACLE MOUNTAIN STATE PARK.
Join Eric Sundell for a 2-3 hour hike on the Pinnacle Mountain
Base Trail in Pinnacle Mountain State Park just west of Little
Rock. Focus will be on woody plants and fall composites. Meet
at 1:00 PM at the West Summit Trail/Base Trail trailhead (the
one at the base of the mountain accessed off Hwy 300, across the
parking lot from the Kingfisher Trail. If you have questions call
Eric at 870.723.1089.
OCTOBER 24th-26th – ANPS FALL MEETING. Join us in
Mammoth Spring for our fall meeting, annual plant auction, and
Kids are pretty funny. Annaleah, my four year old daughter,
sometimes helps me collect, press, and process dried plant
specimens for work. We play a little game while she helps me
sort specimens where I tell her little facts about each species and
ask her to repeat after me the family or scientific name of each
species. These names can be a real mouthful even for me and we
both have a lot of fun with it. I’ll say the name and she’ll
“repeat” it back, semi-phonetically, using a strung-together series
of words that she knows. This can be hilarious, especially if she
is in the right mood, and is great fun for both of us. I wrote down
some highlights from a recent round as she said them so I
wouldn’t forget them like I usually do:
Me: “Annaleah, this is an Ozark gourd. A long time ago these
were grown by Native Americans and they still grow on gravel
bars along the mountain rivers. The family is the Cucurbitaceae.
Can you say Cucurbitaceae?”
Annaleah: “That’s easy Daddy. Cucumber taste a bee!”
Me: “Great! Look at this beard-tongue. It smells like dirty
feet.”
16
Annaleah: (giggling) “Huh? Dirty feet?!!! Let me smell…
YUCK!”
Me: (laughing) “Pretty much! Good job. Now how about this
quillwort? It’s sort of like a fern but lives in the water and
makes little spores down here in the base. It has its own family,
the Isoetaceae.”
Me: “Yep, and it’s in the figwort family – the
Scrophulariaceae.”
Annaleah: “I saw a tasty bee!”
Annaleah: “Cough drop berry office knee!”
Me: “You’re funny. Now, come look at the flowers on this
Dutchman’s pipe.”
Me: “Ha! That’s fantastic… What about this tree-of-heaven?
If you break the leaf stalk it smells like peanut butter and it will
grow out of a crack in the sidewalk. Its family is the
Simaroubaceae.”
Annaleah: (betrayed by her attention span) “No!”
Me: “Aw c’mon! Please?”
Annaleah: “Huuuhhhh??? Simmer blue basement see?”
Annaleah: (running off) “I don’t even LIKE plants!!!”
Me: (laughing hysterically) “Yes! Alright! And check this
out… this one lives in the water and it eats bugs.”
Annaleah: (visibly skeptical) “Nuh-uuuhhh… plants don’t eat
bugs!”
Me: “This one does. No kidding. It catches them down in
these little things here. It’s a bladderwort, in the
Lentibulariaceae.”
Annaleah: (giggling) “Limp very hairy fairy tree!”
Me: (almost crying now I’m laughing so hard) “O.k. O.k.
Here’s a log fern. It grows in special kinds of wetlands called
seeps. The family is the Dryopteridaceae.”
Annaleah: “Dew drop Terry daisy E!”
Goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus). Photo by Craig Fraiser.
Arkansas Native Plant Society Membership Application
NAME(S) _________________________________________
Please check the appropriate box below.
ADDRESS:
Membership Categories:
Street or Box_________________________________________
__ $10….. Student
__ $15….. Regular
__ $20….. Supporting
__ $25….. Family Membership
__ $30….. Contributing
__ $150… Lifetime Membership (55 and over)
__ $300… Lifetime Membership (under 55)
City _______________________________________________
State ____________________ Zip Code__________________
Telephone ______-______-____________
Email address _______________________________________
Please cut and send this form along with any dues to:
__ New Member
__ Renewal
__ Address Change
Maury Baker, Membership ANPS
29 Pandilla Way
Hot Springs Village, AR 71909-7121
Please make checks payable
to “Arkansas Native Plant
Society”.
17
Please check your mailing label! The
calendar year is the membership year.
If your mailing label has an 07 or earlier
it is time to renew! (Life members will
have an LF.)
Please fill in the information form on the opposite side
of this page and send it with your renewals,
applications for membership, changes of name,
address, email, or telephone numbers to the address
given on the form: [Not to the editor]. Thank you.
PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS/SUGGESTIONS TO:
219 Beechwood St. / Little Rock, AR 72205
[email protected]
2008 ANPS OFFICERS
President
Linda Chambers
[email protected]
501.952.0112
Secretary
Susie Teague
[email protected]
501.262.9695
President Elect
Staria Vanderpool
[email protected]
870.972.3082
Awards & Scholarships
Burnetta Hinterthuer
[email protected]
479.582.0317
Vice President
Jean Ann Moles
[email protected]
Membership Chair
Maury Baker
[email protected]
501.922.6077
Treasurer
Jerry McGary
[email protected]
479.646.4180
Editor
Theo Witsell
[email protected]
501.614.8465
The purpose of the Arkansas Native Plant Society is to promote the preservation, conservation,
and study of the wild plants and vegetation of Arkansas, the education of the public to the
value of the native flora and its habitat, and the publication of related information.
CLAYTONIA
Theo Witsell, Editor
219 Beechwood St.
Little Rock, AR 72205
[email protected]
Newsletter of the Arkansas Native Plant Society—Fall/Winter 2008
AVAILABLE ONLINE IN FULL COLOR AT www.anps.org